Jane: Product Reviews

Yogurt
I'd gotten kind of tired of yogurt--most of it's too sweet--but I have missed eating it, and I know it's good for me (and something I can digest, even in a lactose intolerant moment). I've searched around, trying to find a yogurt that reminds me of the yogurts I used to eat when I was younger--ones that had that slightly tart flavor to them.

I've tried a few different types: Dannon's La Creme, Cultural Revolution Organic Yogurt, Stoneyfield farm. . . but none of those is as good as my newest discovery: Greek Yogurt.

It must be incredibly new and popular, as it seems everyone's now got their own version. I was in the grocery as the Yoplait distributor was putting out their new Greek Yogurt. He gave me a coupon.

Here are my reviews of the ones I've tried:

Yoplait Greek Yogurt: I tried Vanilla. Too sweet and kind of sticky. I didn't finish it.
Dannon Greek Yogurt: Tried Vanilla. Kind of gritty. Not a good flavor.
*Oikos Greek Yogurt by Stonyfield Farm: I've tried strawberry and blueberry. Nice tart flavor, smooth consistency. Plus the name is funny. Oink! So far my fave.
Fage Greek yogurt: I tried full-fat cherry. I like the separate container for the cherries--you can mix it a bit, or put them on top. Full fat seems a bit rich--like dessert.

The winner:


(I still want to try that Icelandic strained yogurt I saw at New Pi! Maybe that'll become my new fave, but I won't be able to get it that often.)

The World's Best Jeans
A friend had on a really cute pair of jeans. In the past, we'd talked about how we could never find jeans that fit--they always gap at the waist. These new jeans, made with spandex, did not. And she said they were comfortable. "It's like wearing leggings," she said. "They're marketed as 'slimming jeans'."

That shocked me. I would never try "slimming" anything as I would assume it would be uncomfortable, like control-top panty hose.

But at my friend's suggestion, I tried slimming jeans. I now own 2 pairs.

Levi's boot cut slimming jeans: The ones I have are in a dark wash, a nice dressy color for jeans. The advantage of these is that they are really soft inside. I got a size 6 regular and had to hem them up a tad. The fit is OK. The waistline is higher than I'd want, and they're a big tight through the rear end, but they stretch! They look nice.

*Target's slimming jeans: I bought these for $19.99! Not that the Levis were that expensive (I think I got them on sale for about $30), but wow. These have a better fit for me. The waistline is not so high, and they have a bit more room in the seat. I like the color I bought, a nice mid-blue.

The only disadvantage is that they aren't as soft inside as the Levis--they feel a bit elastic-y. Still, they stretch nicely, and I can wear them day after day and they don't bag or sag. They're comfortable to wear even if you'll be sitting most of the day, or traveling. Warning: the sizes run large. I had to get a size 2. I will watch to see if they have them again; they are definitely a great purchase.

The winner: